This is an unflattering report for Joe Biden. Special prosecutor Robert Hur charged with investigating accusations of mishandling of confidential documents by the 46th president of the United States has decided not to recommend prosecution. In this document published Thursday February 8, he describes the American president as an “elderly man with a bad memory” and concludes that “an indictment would not be justified” against Joe Biden, 81 years old.

Throughout these 388 pages, Mr. Hur notably mentions a five-hour interview spread over two days with Joe Biden during which he said he noticed that “his memory had gotten worse.” “He no longer remembered when he was vice-president,” no longer knowing exactly in what year his mandate began or ended, nor exactly the year of the death of his eldest son Beau, he says. .

Special Prosecutor Robert Hur was appointed in January 2023 by US Attorney General Merrick Garland after the discovery in 2022 of classified documents dating from when Joe Biden was vice-president (2009-2017) in his residence in Wilmington, Delaware, as well as in a former office.

The age of the president in question

Joe Biden stressed in a press release that this interview took place in October 2023, in the very first days of the “international crisis” triggered by the unprecedented attack by Palestinian Hamas in Israel. “Throughout my entire career as a political leader, I have always worked to protect America’s security. I take these subjects seriously and no one has ever doubted it,” writes the president running for a second term.

Richard Sauber, the White House lawyer, welcomed the prosecutor’s decision in a statement but expressed some annoyance. “We reject a number of incorrect and inappropriate comments in the special prosecutor’s report,” which describes Joe Biden as an “elderly man” with a “poor memory,” writes Richard Sauber, adding: “However, the most The Special Prosecutor’s decision not to prosecute is solidly based on the facts and evidence. »

“If you’re too senile to be judged, then you’re too senile to be president. Joe Biden is unfit to lead this nation,” responded Alex Pfeiffer, communications director of the pro-Trump public action group (super PAC) Make America Great Again.